4.28.2011

Whew. What a workout tonight! We didn't have so much as a regular class as we did a "fun" class, which meant lots of cardio! We started off with some basic kicking and forms to get us going, which went pretty well. I still can't get used to the bad mat and when we're doing the double kicks that TSD seemingly (and unfortunately for me) loves to do, I have a hard time working them. Not to mention that most all of them kill my hips and knees (again, no help from the wrestling mats) but I got through them by some miracle. We then did some punching combos on the small targets and kicking on the hanging bag. It felt so good to feel the pain in my hands and feet again. It really gives you a sense of accomplishment, no matter how bad the burn may hurt from the vinyl and skin clashing over and over. It just feels good to hit something. Sometimes it's the way to relaxation and releasing all the pent up frustration and tension that tends to build up during the week. We also walked through a couple of grappling techniques, but we didn't do them in too much detail as the three of us there didn't really know exactly how to do them, much less teach them effectively, but they were still fun to do nonetheless! We then ended out the class with some cardio exercises like leap frog and bear crawls, which about killed me. I really hope that the next couple of classes will be this way. I really miss just working up a good sweat and having "fun" running around like I used to make the kids in my classes do. It's such a good way to end the day, minus having to clean up my room. Haha.

As for the club itself, I've really started to get to know the guys there a lot more which has made training with them much more enjoyable. I've realized that as much as I am a people person, it really takes a lot for me to open up at first. Especially when it's around other martial artists, which is really weird considering I've been training for so long. I guess it's just because even though I'm most comfortable on the mat (compared to literally anywhere else in the world) it's still really awkward to not be on the mat with the people I want to and am most used to training with. I miss the guys back home so much and I so wish I could just go home this summer and train with them like I should be. But, I must play the cards I have been dealt. I'll still have a pretty good support system up here. The other Dan member will also be training pretty intensely this summer from what I understand., which will be helpful in staying motivated even though I'm not really where I want to be. And as much as I may not like it, this will be a good experience for me to really break out of my shell and get used to training with others even though I may not exactly like the circumstances. That's why the fact that I'm getting comfortable with the TSD guys here is really great and kinda reminds me of home in a sense that I've got a good group of guys around me that will help me achieve my goals, even though the guys back home can never be replaced by anyone. They've gotten me through more than any person could ever imagine. And for that, I can never, ever thank them enough. :)

Now that I've gotten sufficiently sentimental, it's time to finish up my night with a bit of organizing and cleaning! So much fun! -__- Not.
Goodnight and Soo Bahk!

4.23.2011

This is really late, but Saturday has been on my mind and so I figured I would just go ahead and post about it, even though I didn't actually do anything at karate. I did, however, go out and watch the gup shim sa (colored belt test) held on campus for the TSD club that morning. It was quite interesting. They sort of wing it compared to how we run ours. The proctor called out the test, whether it be from memory or whether he just calls out whatever he wants them to do, I do not know, without so much as a hint of a script or printed schedule. He walked around, rather than just standing pretty much in place, and corrected people in the middle of the test. There was a lot of interaction between the review board (or lack thereof considering it really only consisted of the one Sa Bom Nim, but we'll get to that later). Certain parts of it were quite strange to be quite honest. The overall result was very much similar to what I'm used to, but there were a lot of little things that just wouldn't have been accepted in our do jang.


As for the actual participants, they all did quite well. It was hard to judge some parts though because it seemed as if it were just a free for all. They would be told to do their Ho Shin Sool or Il Soo Sik on their own and it was all very overwhelming to watch. I didn't like it. I couldn't sufficiently determine (not that my opinion really matters, it's just habit kicking in to judge candidates during a test) if any of them were doing them at the level they should be performing and I don't know how the one Sa Bom could really get a good look either.


Then again, I was kind of suspicious about him. He seemed like he definitely knew his stuff because when he spoke to the group after the test he brought up basically every point that I noticed, both negative and positive, and had some really good feedback as a whole. You don't really get to that level and not know what you are talking about though. It was more of his personality and how he acted during the exam. He would completely ignore the fact that there were people testing. He would get up from the table to talk to the two Dan members about techniques or whatever he saw that was incorrect. My problem with this is that DURING the test is NOT the time to be doing this. He's wasting valuable time where he should be watching the candidates and taking notes on what the two instructors need to work on. Then, there were times where the candidates would be bowing to him after performing or after speaking to him and he didn't even have the decency to look up from taking notes for 5 seconds to acknowledge them and show them the respect that they deserve. Yes, they are your juniors, but they deserve respect as well and as an instructor, if you do not respect your students then you are going to lose them. I've always believe that you should treat others how you want to be treated, especially when it comes to martial arts and the exchange of respect, no matter what the difference is between rank, age, ability, etc. As a martial artist for 14 years, and someone who was always disrespected or disregarded, even when I one of the highest ranked individuals in my do jang, just because of my gender and age, I realized early on that these things don't matter. Just because I was female and very young didn't mean that I was any less qualified than the older male counterparts that I trained and taught with. So, seeing this happen again makes me upset. By disrespecting your students or those who aren't as experienced as you, you are showing a lack of discipline and respect for the people that could be running the organization that you have put so much time, effort, energy and money into. You are not showing them, through your actions, how a senior should act. You are just perpetuating a negative attitude and showing the lower ranking members that once you get even just a little bit of experience, that it's okay to look down upon those who will eventually be lining up behind them in line.


Overall, I was quite impressed, especially since I was finally able to watch everyone and not just catch glimpses of what they were doing. They got out there and they were pretty on point for the level that they are. They were all very disciplined (which I definitely don't see when the lower level students are running classes) and they did everything that is expected of a martial artist. I don't like that this is typical though. You're supposed to be having fun, yes. But, martial arts is also about learning discipline, control, respect among many other things. The mental part of training should be stressed just as much as the physical part is. Rick English said it best when he said "A black belt is nothing more than a belt that goes around your waist. Being a black belt is a state of mind and attitude.” This doesn't just apply to those who are black belts though, this can apply to anyone who is a martial artist. At the end of the day, the color of the belt around your waist doesn't matter, all that matters is that you are a martial artist and that you carry yourself in that way in everything you do. Personally, what you get out of martial arts mentally is much more useful and valuable in everyday life than what you get out of martial arts physically. If these were my students or trained in my studio back home, 75% of them would be in a world of trouble for the way they act. It's so hard not being able to help make changes to the program here and it's even harder for me to keep my mouth shut. I was always able to say what I wanted (within reason) or how I felt about things back home because I was so involved in the programs. If I didn't like something, I was able to express it. If I wanted something to change, I could make it happen. Here, I have to monitor myself and watch how much I say because I'm just a practitioner here. I'm not an instructor. I have no real say in what goes on and how things are done, which is really frustrating sometimes because I want to see everyone achieve their goals and have a good experience. I know how to make this happen (not that the program here isn't successful or anything) and it's frustrating to not be able to help the program and even the individuals improve for fear of overstepping my boundaries.

Anyways, that's all I've got and since I'm sure I've sufficiently bored whoever actually read all of that, I'm going to stop now before I really do serious damage. Hahaha. 

Soo Bahk! :)

4.22.2011

Open mat this afternoon went pretty well. Got through Chil Sung O Ro finally! Got some work in on the bags. Geez, it's been so long since I've had a good ass kicking from the hanging bags. Never fails that it always knocks you around pretty good. Haha. Knee wasn't bothering me at all today, which was definitely a relief and my hips weren't too bad. The only thing I really can complain about is that we were in the same room as last night so we were on the bad mats again. :( Overall, a pretty successful week of training though! :)

Have a good weekend & Soo Bahk!

4.21.2011

This one won't be nearly as long as Tuesday's post. Haha. Training was good. It seems that I've tweaked my knee and my hips were really stiff tonight, but that's just the usual now. I tried not to push them too hard as to not completely tear them up yet again, but it seems that my knee really needs some TLC because it was pretty bad tonight when I moved certain ways. It doesn't help that the mat is squishy wrestling mat stuff which just makes pivoting and landing jumps even more difficult, which they do much more of than I've ever been used to. I can't complain but so much though, at least I have somewhere to train. That's all that I can really ask for at this point. I'm hoping that tomorrow's training will be better since it is an open mat and I'll be able to go at my own pace and take my time. Otherwise, training tonight was much better than Tuesday and I enjoyed it despite having hurt myself. :(

Goodnight and Soo Bahk!

April 19, 2011

Training tonight wasn't spectacular. As similar as Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do are, it's been a hard adjustment still. The classes are the total opposite of what I'm used to. Very informal with little stress on focus and discipline between instructor and student. Very fast paced and while there is some attention to detail, it's not nearly the same level of scrutiny that I'm used to, either when I was training or when I was teaching.

I'm not trying to say that SBD is superior to TSD by any means, but at times, for me, it leaves much to be desired. I have, however, noticed that I enjoy classes taught by the other Dan member there, rather than the Gup (colored belt) members, but it's a bit much to expect a graduate student in mechanical engineering at a top notch engineering school to teach every class there is.

It's a completely different environment than my studio back home as well. This club is just a bunch of college students looking to try something new, they aren't paying over a thousand dollars a year to train; they're paying less than twenty for an entire semester. So, there's no monetary motivation to go to class and get the most out of it. And I can't count the number of times that I've seen uniforms and belts just thrown on the floor, like they are just pieces of trash. I'd be killed for doing such a thing, as it shows no pride or respect for your training that you've put into your art. They are able to show up whenever they please (if testing isn't their number one priority, because they do have a minimum attendance requirement) and put as much (or as little) effort into it as they want. I guess this is just something that I have to adjust to, but not fall into. I cannot let myself jeopardize my technique and everything I have learned just so I can keep up with the others, which I felt myself doing at some points tonight. I guess there's also the issue that I tend to be a little uptight about my training, so I could stand to relax a little, but martial arts is all about tradition, technique, philosophy, respect and discipline, which I refuse to not uphold to the fullest.

Not only can I be intense though, but my instructors back home are all intense as well, to say the least. I guess that may be where I picked it up from. Just maybe. Haha. Anything less than your best, especially once you reach Dan, is unacceptable. You are expected to pour your heart out into the do jang (studio) every time you train, no questions and no exceptions. Not only is training physical though, a certain mental awareness is required as well, and if that's not there, then there no hope of remembering the material or making any progress.

So, I guess in the end, it's just a matter of the level of dedication and the time I have invested in martial arts compared to those who are just orange (or yellow belts, as it is in TSD) because you can see the difference in the training of those who are green and red belts. None of them understand what it means to be a Dan, and they can't be expected to understand yet. Being a Dan is so much more than being exceptionally proficient in your style. It's a way of life. It's a mindset. You've first got to understand this before you can fully embrace it and your commitment to your martial art as a high ranking individual.

Overall, I hope that training will improve by the end of the week and some serious progress will be made on my part. Seeing as how when I tried to do Chil Sung O Ro tonight, which is one of five forms I need to know for Sa Dan, I couldn't get through even 10% of it. It's really disappointing, but this just means that I've got to step it up and do my research and do it after classes no matter how tired I am. I do however need to start monitoring my hips again. It's been so long since I've had to think about not straining them too badly that before I know it I'm going to be out of commission yet again. I've already noticed the digression they've made to back when I was training six days a week and here I am only training three on average. It's going to be hard to get back into that mindset, but it's what I've got to do for my own physical well being.

 Until then though, it's time to rest and recover before the cycle starts over again on Thursday.

Good night and Soo Bahk!

Goals:

I figure it's best to start off my journey by setting some goals that I want to achieve, both short & long term. Here they are:

• start training again between 3 & 4 days a week, and then eventually work back up to 6 days minimum like how I used to train
• possibly go train with another instructor who isn't too far away so I can get back on track with my material
• get into a good routine (healthy diet, gym, etc.) this summer since I'll be here in Blacksburg still and won't have as many distractions
• re-learn and expand on what I already know about the history of Soo Bahk Do
• embrace these more (or at least the ones that apply to me)

As hard as it's going to be to get back to my old ways, I'm going to do it no matter what it takes. I've waited for this moment for basically my entire life, and there's no way I'm going to let anything or anyone get in my way.

And so it begins...

Well, it all really began 14 years ago, but the next 2-3 years is what it all really comes down to. Thousands of hours spent on the mat training, the blood, sweat & tears shed. All of it leads up to this. The training that I will be doing for the next couple of years will quite possibly be the most intense of my entire martial arts career, but I've never wanted anything more than this. I'm here to share this experience with anyone who wishes to follow along with me during my journey and to document this monumental time of my life for myself to look back on after I have fulfilled this lifelong dream.